An Ontario city has voted to remove all plaques and signage linking Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to its downtown core after the former prince had his titles removed by the British Royal Family.
Councillors in Mississauga followed the lead of King Charles III by removing decades-old associations with former Prince Andrew from city hall and a nearby boulevard.
At the end of October, Buckingham Palace announced it would formally strip his brother, Andrew, of the title of prince, over his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The disgraced royal also lost the designation “his royal highness” after the king issued a Letters Patent, a centuries-old type of document used by monarchs to bestow — and remove — appointments or titles.
The king had previously removed the title Duke of York from his brother.
A motion tabled by Mississauga Ward 4 Coun. and Deputy Mayor John Kovac formally removed the association of Duke of York Boulevard with Andrew, although it stopped short of renaming the route.
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Coun. Alvin Tedjo had originally pushed to have Duke of York Boulevard renamed entirely. He could not win the support of his colleagues for the costlier move.
Back in 1987, Andrew visited Mississauga to open the city’s Civic Centre. Duke of York Boulevard, which stretches through the downtown, was named after him, while a plaque was also put up at city hall to commemorate the event.
At the time, the visit of the royals was eagerly anticipated. The Mississauga News reported a Sarah Ferguson lookalike competition and turnout of roughly 70,000 people.
Andrew, however, has fallen far since 1987 and pressure has been growing on the Royal Family for some time to distance themselves from him.
That demand was heightened over new revelations about his friendship with Epstein and renewed attention on sexual abuse allegations by one of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, whose posthumous memoir was published last month.
Andrew is also being forced to move from Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle, where he has lived for more than 20 years.
The motion passed by council removes those plaques and declares the road in honour of Canada’s history as a constitutional monarchy, rather than a tribute to Andrew.
“While we’ve kept the name of the boulevard to avoid significant inconvenience and cost for residents, partners, and businesses who reside on Duke of York Boulevard, we’ve removed all associations with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor,” Mayor Carolyn Parrish wrote in a statement.
“As a Council, we’re sending a strong message that we stand against gender-based violence and are dedicated to creating a more inclusive and respectful environment for survivors.”
— with files from The Associated Press
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